‘DC’s Stargirl: Hunter Sansone Discusses Cameron’s Icy Future

On this week’s episode of DC’s Stargirl, titled “Summer School: Chapter Five,” we finally get to see something that’s been teased since pretty much the first episode of the series. Spoilers past this point, but in the final shot of the hour, Cameron Mahkent (Hunter Sansone) seemingly finally gets the ice powers previously wielded by his father.

“He doesn’t know what’s happening in that moment,” Sansone told Decider. “He’s not aware. It’s a weird situation … And as far as him wholly embracing those powers, I don’t know what the plan is, but [it’s] definitely weird for him. He’s not sure what it means.”

To find out much more about Cameron’s arc in Season 2, that almost kiss with Courtney (Brec Bassinger) and much more, read on.

Decider: I’ve talked to a bunch of the other cast members about this before, that Stargirl doesn’t really get into romance much. But your character is one of the few characters on the show that actually is part of a classic CW-style ship… What has that experience been like?

Hunter Sansone: It’s been a slow burn which I think has been interesting because it’s making people want more, and want some clarity on where it’s going to [happen], given the unique set of circumstances for everybody involved. I think that’ll be satisfying for a lot of people to see once that gets resolved. But specifically what I love about their ship, if you want to call it, is the fact that it’s so innocent and it’s so sweet. Cameron really does like Courtney. And I believe Courtney really does like Cameron, but they’re very much in this Romeo and Juliet situation. So, it’s a really adorable little love story there, and I’m excited for it to be fleshed out fully.

What’s it been like working with Brec Bassinger on this?

Oh, Brec’s been fantastic. She’s definitely become one of my closer friend throughout production. And she’s just the sweetest, such a talented actress, very generous in the scene, easy to work with. And she’s a good friend of mine. We’ve most recently been laughing about the fact that we’re both obsessed with pickleball, the new sport taking over America. We have plans to hop on the court together when we get back for Season 3. So, she’s the best. A great actress and [I’m] definitely lucky to work opposite her.

Other than her though, most, if not all of Cameron’s scenes were with his father, it was very focused on that relationship. Now that Jordan Mahkent is gone in the Season 1 finale, what has changed in terms of how you approach Cameron, and how he is here in Season 2?

Well, I mean, there’s been a major adjustment. It’s a heavier season for Cameron emotionally, he has his grandparents who he’s close with behind the doors, but it’s a whole new level. And I feel that this loss has also given a major growth for Cameron and life experiences if you can imagine someone going through all that, they can’t help but grow and learn things and experience things as a result. So, you’re definitely seeing a more mature, a deeper, grounded sense of Cameron. Just naturally as you get older, that happens, but going through that situation as well.

You mentioned his grandparents. There are a lot of villains on the show: there’s Eclipso, there’s The Shade, there’s all the ISA villains from Season 1, but hands down the creepiest part of the show to me is the grandparents, whenever they pop up. What are they actually like in real life?

[Laughs] They’re so talented because as you might guess, they are the most loving kinds of people on the planet. So they definitely are not their characters in real life. Everybody flocks to them and loves being around them. They are truly the sweetest. They did such a great job with the accent and just channeling that evilness, which is so terrifying and creepy. And it adds to that bizarre dynamic that Cameron’s [had] with everybody. From Courtney to the one he was in with his father… That’ll definitely be touched on soon and questions will be answered.

When we see him in this episode, he’s once again working on the mural tribute for his dad… Is there a level where he’s holding back from actually finishing it because that means letting go of his father? Or is he just taking his time and working on it?

He’s just taking his time and working on it. He’s not trying to let his father go at that moment. He’s trying to honor him. And that’s how he knows how, which is through his art. That’s the same way he honored his late mother, was through his art. That’s how he communicates [with] the world, his experiences, emotions, feelings. He communicates everything through his talent, which is pretty cool. And that’s been neat for me as an actor to dive into, to communicate the pain of this guy through art.

There’s a couple of pretty fraught interactions between Cameron and other characters that I wanted to talk through… First, what was it like filming the scene with Meg DeLacy in the art classroom, when he shuts her down?

Oh, gosh, Meg she is the real deal, man. Everybody I’m working with is super talented, but working with Meg, opposite her, you can’t help but want to be transported into the reality of that moment because she is so committed and so serious, and you just can’t help but fall into the scene. It was a real joy to work with her in that sense as an actor. But the dynamic between the characters in that moment is interesting, because as majority of fans probably assumed, I thought I’d be joining the ISA in this moment. So, it’s a big moment because everybody sees I turned her down, and I’m happy that I did. That’s a big moment there for Cameron in determining his future. So, I think [showrunner] Geoff [Johns] and the whole team here executed that scene in a great way. And I’m excited to see how it comes out.

A little later on when he’s painting the mural, there’s a very weird moment between Rick Tyler and Cameron on the street, Rick drives up to his car and revs the engine. What’s going on there? What is happening between the two of them?

[Laughs] I don’t know what’s going on beyond that moment. I know what was happening in that scene, and it’s basically just… Rick, I don’t want to speak for Cameron Gellman, but I can imagine that Rick doesn’t trust me, given the fact that he knows who my father is. And I just know he’s a local jerk throughout town and he’s not a good guy to be around. So, that’s establishing this dynamic of us being in two completely different worlds. Beyond that, I don’t know what the plans are for Rick and Cam. Cameron Gellman is one of my best friends in my life which is awesome. And so we would love for there to be more stuff fleshed out between those two characters. As of now, it’s literally just setting the foundation, and I actually want find out more about that and where that’s going to go.

Is it confusing at all that your character is named Cameron, and his name is Cameron in real life?

100%. And we’ve had multiple experiences on set that led to confusion as a result of that. I believe I’ve shown up to fittings that were supposed to be for him. He has shown up to camera tests that were supposed to be for me. Wardrobe, make-up, the whole thing. I’m hoping going into Season 3, we can have that [confusion] out now, but yes, definitely Season 1, we had some major mix-ups and it’s hilarious. We’re just used to it now. Walking into interviews [that are] supposed to be Cameron, and not me. And we’re getting there, but we get a good laugh out of it.

Let’s hop over to Courtney and Cameron again. There’s a big scene here where they almost kiss, and then she has to run off again. So, he seems pretty put off by her ditching him. Do you think at this point, is he willing to give her another shot? Is he still all in on the Courtney train, or is this the final straw and he’s going to move on?

No. He’s definitely still in on the Courtney train. It hurts, as you might imagine at that point for him, it’s starting to become a pattern, the whole Courtney disappearance situation. He’s got other things going on in his life, so he’s not 100% going to shut her out just because she lets him down again. So, you’ll see them touch base again throughout the season. And they’re definitely not… They’re not done by any means.

At this point, Cameron lost his dad, and it’s obviously just a brief scene, but he at least had this art teacher who believes in him, and now he’s gone as well. So, where does that leave Cameron?

You hit it right on the head. That was his next positive mentor outside of his grandparents. Like I said, he’s close with his grandparents, but there’s a difference. And Mr. Desinger was that, he was that positive male role model who related to Cameron and his art. And that definitely made him feel like he was close to his mom in that sense, because his mom was an artist. That’s how they would bond. So, someone who is an artist like Cameron definitely held a special place in his heart. And he really liked Mr. Desinger and Mr. Desinger really cared about Cameron. As you saw in those scenes, he helps him out with navigating the Courtney situation. And that made an impact on him, especially a young guy like that, navigating his love life. So, that’s devastating. You’ll seeing him deal with that stuff, but it’s pretty detrimental to him.

The big revelation of course, the stinger at the end of the episode, is that he seems to have gotten his ice powers. What can you tease about that, if anything?

Well, I don’t know how much further I can go other than the fact that you see, he’s finally getting those powers after all of this time being drawn out. He doesn’t know what’s happening in that moment. He’s not aware. It’s a weird situation. He feels a shooting pain through his arm and down to his hand, he thinks it could just be a cramp or… He doesn’t know, it was just a shooting pain. So, that’s where we’re at with it. And as far as him wholly embracing those powers, I don’t know what the plan is, but [it’s] definitely weird for him. He’s not sure what it means.

You’ve got a short film you’re writing, producing, directing and starring in… What was the goal with this? Are you angling to direct an episode of Stargirl Season 3?

It’s called A Brother’s Story. And I wrote it during Season 2 of Stargirl… I was just sitting there, and I’ve always itched to produce and create content for myself and always stay working as best as I can. So my real passion outside of acting — and I’m also extremely passionate about animals and animal rights — is the producing, so that’s something I’m excited to jump into. So yes, I did write it, I am directing it, Cameron Gellman is also co-producer on the project, which is awesome. [It’s a] coming of age adventure drama about two brothers out in the woods, navigating life. It’s real emotional and sentimental and personal for me, filming it on my farm in Missouri. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. So, going forward in my career, I definitely have plans to produce, that’s the goal, is to be a producer actor, and directing as well. And I enjoy writing, so writing and directing will definitely pop up in the future, but I’d say producing is the main focus outside of the acting.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

DC’s Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

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